Guide: Work in Norway

To kokker anretter meny
Photographer
Yadid Levy / Norden.org
Here you can find information about the most important things you should know if you are planning to look for a job in Norway.

If you are considering looking for a job in Norway, there are a number of things you should think about, such as how to look for work, authorisations, tax, social insurance schemes, and employment rights. Below is a checklist of the most important things you should be aware of if you are planning to work in Norway.

Work permits in Norway

If you are a citizen of a Nordic country (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, or Sweden), you can live and work in Norway without needing to apply for work and residence permits. If you are a citizen of another country, different rules apply depending on whether you are a citizen of an EU/EEA country or not. Read more on the Info Norden webpages.

Looking for work in Norway

You can find information about looking for work in Norway on the Info Norden webpages. You can also find information in the official guide, Work in Norway.

Looking for work in Norway while receiving unemployment benefit from your home country

If you are receiving unemployment benefit in another EU or EEA country, you can generally continue to receive this for up to three months while looking for work in Norway. You can find more information on the Info Norden webpages.

Authorisation of professions in Norway

You must have authorisation before you can work in certain professions in Norway. Read more about this on the Info Norden webpages.

Salaries and employment conditions in Norway

You can find information about your employment rights when working in Norway on the Info Norden webpages. You can also read about salaries and employment conditions in Norway on the website of The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority (Arbeidstilsynet).

Tax when you work in Norway

When you start working in Norway, you need a tax deduction card and a Norwegian identity number, either a D number or a personal identity/birth number. You can get information about identity numbers, preliminary tax (skattetrekk), and tax returns (skattemelding) from the Norwegian Tax Administration (Skatteetaten). You can also get general information about tax in Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, and Swedish from Nordisk eTax, which is a collaboration between the tax administrations in the Nordic countries.

Social insurance scheme in Norway

If you move to Norway to work, you will generally be a member of the Norwegian social insurance system (trygdesystemet). In some situations you may be covered by the social insurance system in another country, for example if you are a posted worker or working in another country than Norway.

Membership of the social insurance system in a country means that it is the regulations in that country that apply to you, such as:

Work or live in another Nordic country

In certain situations, you must pay particular attention to your position regarding tax and social insurance. This concerns:

  • If you live in Norway and work in another Nordic country
  • If you live in another Nordic country and work in Norway

Social insurance scheme 

You are generally a member of the social insurance system in the country in which you work. If you work in two Nordic countries, you are generally a member of the social insurance system in the country in which you live, if you work mostly in that country. If you are in any doubt about which country’s social insurance system you are a member of, contact the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV). 

If you work in two countries, you should be aware that, in general, your employer should pay social insurance fees to the country where you are a member of the social insurance system.

Tax

You can read about tax relating to cross-border workers on the Nordisk eTax website, which is a collaboration between the tax administrations in the Nordic countries.

Trade unions

You can read more about Norwegian trade unions on the Info Norden webpages.

Seasonal work for young people

Nordjobb is an agency for seasonal employment for citizens in the Nordic region or the EU aged between 18 and 30. You must be able to speak either Danish, Norwegian, or Swedish.

More information

Contact agency
Ask Info Norden

Please fill in our contact form if you have any questions or if you have encountered an obstacle in another Nordic country.

NB! If you have questions regarding the processing of a specific case or application, or other personal matters, please contact the relevant authority directly.

Info Norden is the information service of the Nordic Council of Ministers. Here you can find info and tips if you wish to move, work, study, seek support or start a business in the Nordic region.